3373, VIC

This is a senior-heavy community where 28.6% of residents are aged 65 and over, a figure far above the national average. Conversely, children under 15 make up only 14.6%, which is well below the state and national figures.

The area is predominantly Australian-born, with 82.1% born here and only 9.3% born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with 89.9% of people using it only at home. Only 2.5% use another language, which is far below the Victorian average.

A large number of residents report having no religion, at 47.5%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 22 points since 2011.

Educational qualifications are lower than most areas, with only 36% of residents completing Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%. However, those with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 12.2% since 2011.

Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than most areas at $1,111, well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are common here; 39.6% of people have a long-term health condition, which is far above the national figure. Mental health conditions are also well above the national average at 13%.

Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, with 21.3% of people participating. There is also a higher than average rate of people who served in the Defence Force at 4.8%.

Living alone is much more common here than in most areas, with 34% of people in single-person households. This helps explain why the typical home size is smaller than usual, at 2.2 people.

The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.2%. Home ownership is very high, with 48.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. It takes an average of 99 minutes to drive to the city.

Movement into the area is steady, with 31.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas rose to 4.8% by 2021, though this remains well below the national figure.

Working rates are much lower than most areas, with 51.1% of adults working or looking for work. Key industries include agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as healthcare and social assistance.

Overall advantage is lower than most areas, scoring 3 out of 10. This is consistent with the lower typical incomes and lower levels of school and job qualifications found in the region.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.3, far below the state average. Many homes are far from essential services, with only 23.1% within a 15-minute walk of a school.